Drink and Dessert Pairing or Holiday Entertaining

Hi, I'm Gail Simmons from Top Chef and I'm here to share with you some meals this holiday season that are not only easy on you but absolutely delicious. Today, I've partnered with Pure Leaf Iced Tea to give you some tips and tricks that are all about using real ingredients. Because we all know that real food has better taste.

There are a few things that I love to do during the holidays when people come to my house for a meal. Let's start first with giving them a great drink when they walk in the door. It welcomes them and really wets their appetite for whatever is to come and whatever I'm serving next. I love making my Lemon Ginger Pomegranate Sparkler. It's really refreshing and super easy to make. I start with Pure Leaf Lemon Iced Tea but then I steep with ginger. I love using Pure Leaf Tea because it's made with real root tea leaves so I know I'm getting the best taste. Now after the tea steeps for about ten minutes, you will want to cool it down and then I simply top it off with some pomegranate juice, club soda, and a cinnamon stick to bring in a fresh festive look and feel.

Then when I think about pairing a great cocktail, I always go right to the dessert. You always want to plan something decadent, a little sweet, and something very special for your holiday guests. Now it doesn't have to weigh you down. A dessert that I love at this time of year is a great tart apple crisp. I have a super easy one with some special details that all of your guests will love.

So you want to start with freshly peeled and chopped apples. They are at their peak right now and are so juicy and crunchy. You can use a Macintosh or even a Gala or even a Granny Smith for a little bit of tartness. The you will want to add some cinnamon, a little bit of vanilla extract, some lemon juice, and then some really fresh lemon zest to really pump up the tartness in the dish, then you want to finish with some brown sugar. So go ahead and give that a mix and coat the apples very evenly. Then you want to pour it into a baking dish that is covered with a little bit of butter. This will just make sure it doesn't stick when you back it in the oven. Make sure it is well-coated and slide them right into the dish. Then top it with a really simple topping.

This topping doesn't even have any flour in it. It's simply ground pecans, quick cooking oats, cinnamon, brown sugar, a little more of that lemon zest, and butter that really brings it all together. Push it down and pat it in evenly over the top. Then just pop it right in the oven. It comes out bubbling, brown and golden and also fills your whole home with those great holiday smells..the cinnamon, the lemon, and of course that fresh baked and juicy apples. I will then serve it in a shallow bowl with a scoop of ice cream. It becomes a great pairing with Lemon Pure Leaf Iced Tea because it really brings out the tart lemony flavors that I already have in the dessert itself.

Another thing I think about at this time of year is giving back. All of the blessings I have year-round and the chance to eat this delicious food is definitely not possible for everyone and I love to do something when I can that thinks about the other people that don't have the gifts that I absolutely enjoy all year round. One thing Pure Leaf is doing this year is donating to a non-profit called Wholesome Wave. They are donating $50,000 to make sure fresh fruits and vegetables get into communities who need it most. I'm really excited about this partnership because these are the things that we know can make a real difference in people's lives this time of year.

For these recipes and more information, you can go to www.pureleaf.com. Thanks so much, and Happy Holidays.